Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, says all the governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state will all gain, but at different times.

Aiyedatiwa, on Sunday, said this in his acceptance speech after defeating 15 other governorship opponents to become the candidate of the APC in Ondo.

The gubernatorial candidate, who was deputy to the late Rotimi Akeredolu, took over the reins of the state after the latter’s demise.

The governor said a contest like the primary exercise comes with “discordant tunes”.

“Let me at this time acknowledge and thank all the aspirants who threw their hats into the ring in the family contest to be the flag-bearer: Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, Hon. Isaac D. Kekemeke, Hon. Gbenga Edema, Mr. Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, Hon. Olujimi Odimayo, Mr. Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Morayo Lebi Esq, Prince Diran Iyantan, Prof. Francis Faduyile, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Mrs. Funmilayo Waheed Adekojo and Engr. Funke Omogoroye,” he said.

“Your participation has created so much awareness within and outside our party. You mobilized our members and removed apathy.

“You have also brought in numerous new members into the party. All of these have enriched our democracy and strengthened our party in the state.

“Democracy sometimes, after a contest like this, comes with discordant tunes. But this is not the time to hold grudges against anyone but for all of us to come together to work for the success of our great party so as to remain in power.

“We will all gain in this party, though at different times, if we keep faith. I salute your courage and keen interest to lead the State towards development. It is your right and you are qualified and worthy members of our party.

“I want to specially thank the President and Leader of our party, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his leadership.”

Aiyedatiwa encouraged everyone to work together to build Ondo.

Due to accusations of misconduct and abuse of power, human rights attorney Deji Ajare has urged Kogi State House of Assembly Speaker Umar Yusuf to start the impeachment process against Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo.

Through the House clerk, Ajare made the call on Friday in a letter addressed to the speaker.

He said that using the governor’s motorcade to transport the troubled former state governor, Yahaya Bello, to safety amounted to harbouring a wanted person, obstructing the course of justice, and misusing public funds.

It was earlier reported that the Governor had whisked away his predecessor at about 4:20 pm on Wednesday, after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission besieged the latter’s Abuja residence, to arrest him in connection with an N80.2bn money laundering case.

Following his escape, the EFCC declared the ex-governor wanted while the Nigeria Immigration Service placed him on its watchlist. The Inspector General of Police also has directed the withdrawal of all Police units attached to the former Governor.

Ajare, in his letter, also called on the assembly to cooperate with the EFCC and ensure all individuals involved are available for questioning and investigations.

“In the light of the above allegations and the inherent potential breaches of statutory duties imposed by the Constitution and other relevant laws of our country, these actions, if proven true, amount to gross misconduct and warrant immediate investigation and commencement of impeachment proceedings.

“I hereby call on the Kogi State House of Assembly under your leadership to initiate a thorough inquiry into these allegations by Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, to ascertain the truth and to hold Governor Usman Ododo accountable if the allegations are found to be true.

“I also urge the Kogi State House of Assembly to cooperate with national law enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, to ensure all individuals involved are available for questioning and to facilitate a smooth investigation”, he said.

He further implored the House of Assembly to take swift and decisive actions, noting the effect of the “misgovernance implied in these allegations” on the people of the state.

“I thank you as I look forward to your urgent attention to this issue. I trust in your commitment to uphold the Constitution and the laws of our land for the betterment of our state and its people”, the letter also read.

However, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mohammed Yabagi, who spoke to our correspondent via telephone, said neither the Clerk nor the Speaker had received such a letter.

Yabagi added that the House had not seen any valid reasons to begin impeachment processe against the governor and that there was no evidence that the governor prevented security agencies from arresting Yahaya Bello.

“Anybody in the public has their perception of the matter. But the House has not seen any reason, none of the members of the House were there, and none of them saw the governor trying to prevent the security agencies from doing their job. As far as the Assembly is concerned, the Assembly supports all constitutionally recognised security agencies. We have not seen any reason why the House should commence any impeachment processes.

“For context, as far as the Executive is concerned, the immediate past governor was not even at his Abuja residence, and there’s no concrete evidence that the Executive Governor prevented them from doing their constitutionally recognised job. The House is yet to receive such a letter, and the Speaker is yet to have any knowledge of such a letter,” he said.

Meanwhile, all efforts to reach the Special Adviser on Media to the Kogi State Governor, Ismaila Isah, proved abortive, as his number was switched off.

However, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, debunked reports that Ododo helped Bello, beat security operatives who wanted to arrest him.

Fanwo in an interview with Channels TV on Thursday said the governor was committed to upholding the laws of the country, including respecting its legal processes.

“Governor Ododo did not assist in Bello’s departure from his residence; the EFCC’s claims are misinformation aimed at furthering their objectives. Bello is not evading anyone; the existing court injunction protects his fundamental rights,” he said.

Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is prohibited from representing himself as a party member by an ex parte ruling issued by the Kano State High Court.

Judge Usman Na’abba granted the application on Tuesday in response to an ex parte motion filed by Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of the plaintiffs, Assistant Secretary Laminu Sani and Legal Adviser Haladu Gwanjo, two executive members of Ganduje’s ward in Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area.

Ganduje was suspended on Monday along with nine other ward executives. The court ruled that Ganduje was to stop overseeing all APC National Working Committee matters going forward.

The court directed the four parties (respondents) joined in the matter, including the APC, NWC, APC Kano State Working Committee, and Ganduje, to henceforth, maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April 30, 2024.

Justice Na’abba, also held as prayed, stopped State Working Committee APC Kano from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.

The ex parte order read, “An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit APC (first), APC National Working Committee (second), Kano State Working Committee APC (third), Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (fourth), to maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024.

”The order thereby restraining the first respondent (APC) from recognising the fourth respondent (Ganduje) as a member of APC and prohibiting the fourth respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legally and validly decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.

“That the fourth respondent (Ganduje) is prohibited from parading himself as a member of APC or doing any act that may portray him or seem to be a member of APC pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

Nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of the APC over the allegation of corruption slammed on him by the Kano State Government.

The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of the APC from the National Chairman’s polling unit.

In the petition, Adamu complained over allegations of corruption charges against the former governor just as he urged the ward leaders to investigate the matter to redeem the dented image of the party and the implication on President Bola Tinubu’s fight against corruption.

Although the chairman and secretary of the ward failed to act on the petition filed on April 8, 2024, nine members of the executives, led by the legal adviser, acted upon the petition, a decision that led to Ganduje’s suspension.